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How Genesee Valley responded to COVID-19 BELMONT — For public schools, the COVID-19 pandemic has tested the mettle of administrators, the fortitude of faculty and staff and the creativity of communities in facing a challenge unlike any they have encountered before. Genesee Valley Central School, like schools across the state and nation, revamped operations and instruction in the wake of the coronavirus. In a quickly evolving situation, this rural school of approximately 600 students crafted a plan to remotely engage students, families, faculty and staff in order to keep the educational process going and to ensure that the essential needs of families were met. For educators who’ve spent their entire careers teaching face-to-face, the challenge of adjusting methodologies and practices to distance learning was daunting. Genesee Valley’s teachers didn’t have weeks or months to get up to speed — they had mere days. Dr. Brian Schmitt, Superintendent of Genesee Valley, encouraged teachers to focus on the relationships and primary needs of families. “We immediately developed a meal, technology and school supply delivery plan and tested the myriad of ways we communicate with families,” Schmitt said. “Our main focus is always to support the students,
CAR. TR. MKT MAIL US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 244 BRADFORD, PA
School districts in Allegany County get $1.7 million aid boost
By RICK MILLER
Photos provided Genesee Valley Central School iPads are cleaned and prepped for loan to students at home.
School districts in Allegany Counties will share a more than $1.7 million increase in state aid in the $178 billion New York state budget passed last week. The combined state aid for the 12 school districts in Allegany County for 2020-21 is $126,498,032. Like other counties, the school districts will each receive a federal CARES restoration grant — $2,530,437 for Allegany County. There is an identical accompanying debit for the New York “pandemic adjustment” for each district. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also said due to the pandemic, school aid will be recalculated each quarter, based on the amount of revenue received, so districts are not guaranteed these aid levels. The governor has also delayed school budget votes and school board elections until at least June 1, under a March 29 executive order. They may even be pushed back to the day of the state’s June 28 primary. Allegany County school districts, their 2020-21 school aid without building or reorganization aid, and the percent increase follow: • Alfred-Almond — $8.5 million, -2.21% • Andover — $5.9 million, 3.6% • Belfast — $7.8 million, 3.74% • Bolivar-Richburg — $16.6 million, 2.18% • Canaseraga — $4.6 million, 3.74% • Cuba-Rushford — $14.8 million, 0.04%
Meal packages are put together for Genesee Valley students.
families, staff and community.” Kellie Schmidt, now in her 18th year teaching at Genesee Valley, was faced with retooling her second-grade class for virtual instruction—and fast. The solution: Facebook. “Facebook allows
me to post lesson plans group includes videos of and worksheets, links to Schmidt reading students educational sites and vid- a bedtime story, pictures eos,” Schmidt said. “It’s of proud students holdthe closest thing we have ing up their completed now to a classroom.” work for all to see, and Schmidt’s secondparents sharing resources grade private Facebook and words of encouragegroup has 52 members ment with each other. and sees an average of See SCHOOL pg 2... 25 posts per day. The
• Friendship — $8.4 million, 1.55% • Fillmore — $13.3 million, 1.82% • Genesee Valley — $13.3 million, 2.29% • Scio — $7.6 million, 3.15% • Wellsville — $20.3 million, 1.22% • Whitesville — $5.1 million, 2.07%
Cuba • Wellsville Special Orders Call:
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Sale Starts Sunday April,12 -18 2020
During these trying times, to better benefit the elders and those who may be at high risk in our community, Giant Food Mart will be opening one hour earlier on Tuesdays and Thursdays until further notice. Following the guidelines of our 5% Tuesday discount, customers 55 years young or over, or those at high risk will be able to shop every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 6:00 am until 7:30 am.